Thousands of wreaths arrive in Jacksonville to honor fallen service members

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Thousands of wreaths have arrived in Jacksonville to honor our fallen soldiers here and abroad, and one veteran was handpicked to make this special delivery.

With a last name that befits his journey, Air Force veteran Shaun Battle arrived in Jacksonville Thursday morning, with a single wreath leading his more than 1,400-mile trek.

“It was like 25 degrees in Maine when I picked this load up,” he explained. “Versus Jacksonville, Florida it’s beautiful.”

Battle has been driving trucks for 23 years and now has his own company, Battleground Enterprises.

“The logo itself stands for mental and physical strength,” he explained.

And it’s this strength that got him through his deployment to the Middle East in 2006.

“I was able to go overseas and come back home.”

But he wanted to honor those who didn’t.

So Crowley, a Jacksonville-based logistics company, handpicked him to deliver thousands of wreaths that volunteers will use to decorate the headstones of fallen service members.

“It was a great opportunity for us to support him,” said Jessica Baczkowski, Senior Specialist at Crowley.

Battle helped bring more than 6,000 wreaths to the Jacksonville warehouse in Grand Park. Some are going to the Puerto Rico National Cemetery and others are going to the Jacksonville National Cemetery.

Crowley is donating all the logistical support, to make sure the wreaths arrive for National Wreaths Across America Day on December 18, when they will be displayed.

You can be a part of this day by going on the organization’s website here, finding the cemetery closest to you, and registering to volunteer.

While it’s Battle’s first time being a part of this, he says it won’t be his last.

“It was very rewarding, I appreciate the opportunity,” he said. “It’s one way to give back to the men and women that made the ultimate sacrifice for this country.”

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